It's early morning, probably not even nine yet and the air is still crisp, still sharp. It smells of freshness, as if upon the waking of the masses, the pristine air is drained and replaced with something far stuffier, far more claustrophobic.
Enjolras would rise before nine every morning; actually it was a lot closer to seven so that he could continue on in the routine he had established sometime in high school. He wakes, makes breakfast and goes for a run. It generally lasts for about an hour and is the perfect time to absorb this fresh air and stop to observe the world around him before he launches into a long day of work.
These days he likes to explore new areas of the suburb as he runs. Just last month he moved out of home and in with a friend from high school – Marius. His total opposite in every way. Marius would wake well past midday and eat breakfast around three. Every day when they would watch the news Marius would complain about how he sleeps through half the day and that time was going too fast for him. Then he would make a pact with Enjolras who just raises his eyebrows in feigned interest, not taking his eyes off the blaring television. Marius would state that from now on he will get into a routine just like Enjolras. Enjolras smiles and wishes him luck but also wonders if Marius realises that he already has a routine, it's just not a very good one.
The suburb where they are living is nowhere near as nice as their family residences. He hates to admit it but sometimes Enjolras genuinely misses waking and having breakfast already made for him by one on the chefs. That has been one of the biggest adjustments he has had to make since moving out of home; the food. He remembers back when he would have blinis, eggs Benedict and fresh fruit before going for his runs. Now the fridge is stocked with an endless supply of Up and Gos and he regrets never learning to cook. Their new neighbourhood is noisy, a major route for trucks and full of peak hour traffic but it was close to public transport and close to the university and for Enjolras that was all that mattered.
They had recently been accepted into the Corinth University out in the east. It was one of the top universities in the nation but it was located far from the city and therefore formed its own little university suburb. By they; we mean Enjolras and Marius as well as their friends Combeferre and Courfeyrac whom they had previously attended high school with. It was not at all surprising that the four were now attending university together. It was as if they were on some predestined path which the four were following to the letter.
Be born into the wealthiest and most powerful families in the nation; check.
Attend on of the best private all boys school in the nation; check.
Obtain the highest marks in the final exams; check.
Attend one of the best universities in the nation; check.
As previously stated, they were following this path perfectly.
The four were also legacy children. Their parents had all attended Corinth which assisted in putting them at the top of the acceptance list, this coupled with the fact that these boys were amongst the very few who could afford the university's exorbitant fees resulted in their quick and expected acceptance into the university.
That was what Enjolras hated about the education system; if you can't pay the fees you can't get the degree. Unless you were a scholarship kid of course, but even so, the marks they were required to achieve for acceptance into Corinth were practically impossible for the average person to achieve. He remembers the scholarship children at his school. They would have no friends, they would barely talk, just study incessantly. In year eleven a student killed himself because he was at risk of losing his place at their high school due to his dropping grades. His average was 98% at the start of the year and had dropped to a 92. Enjolras remembers just scraping an 85 that year.
Combeferre and Courfeyrac are already at Enjolras and Marius' home by the time Enjolras arrives back from his run. He is shocked. It is the first time he has seen Marius up before midday and Combeferre has brought them McDonalds for breakfast. Meanwhile Courfeyrac was practically bouncing off the walls. Today was orientation day.
"We have to go on first year's camp!" He shouts so loudly that the other boys all turn and glare at him. "Seriously it will be awesome, we'll get laid, Enjolras will get laid."
"I fail to understand why I have been singled out here" Enjolras speaks over a hot mug of coffee.
"It's because you speak like that, Sir seriously man I feel like I'm talking to a teacher, and it's off putting."
"Well I must say I am glad I don't turn you on."
"I didn't mean it like that" Courfeyrac sighs at his friend taking his words out of context and Enjolras tries to hide his smirk "Girls don't find talking to their teacher very sexy-"
"Can you please not talk to me about what is sexy, it is weird and too early in the morning for this."
"And even so" Marius pipes up "Some girl like that kind of thing, you work it Enj" and the three boys descend into loud fits of laughter.
Enjolras rolls his eyes and drains his mug "I'm going to get changed, let's be out of here in half an hour. I think the campus book store is already open."
The campus is buzzing by the time the boys arrive and Courfeyrac is almost hyperventilating as he thinks that the camp has already sold out.
"Come on Enj you have to go! It is apparently the best uni event all year" Courfeyrac and Combeferre's older siblings are both Corinth alumni and have been taunting the boys with stories or amazing, deborturous university camps for the last three years. According to Courfeyrac, they needed to go on this camp if they were to have a true university experience.
"I don't really think it is my scene."
"Uni camps are everyone's thing" Courfeyrac is at his over exaggerating best again and it takes a fair amount of persuading from Combeferre whom Enjolras considers to be the only reasoned one in their group to persuade the boy to go.
He then finds the campus book store and stocks up on some of the latest essays and autobiographies published by his favourite authors. Courfeyrac is already chatting up some other first years and Enjolras knows that this camp is going to be a long four days.
AN: I should be working on my major essay.
Okay so this basically the story of how The Amis was born in the context of an upcoming college fic that I am writing which occurs a year after the events in this story. The next chapter will be the camp where you will meet a few more of The Amis and Eponine. This is a two shot.
I hope you all enjoyed it and will follow, favourite or even review… please review it really inspires me to write a lot more.